Iran does not need atomic bomb: Nejad

COTONOU, Benin (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday defended his country’s controversial nuclear programme while on a tour of west Africa, calling it peaceful and arguing that Tehran has no use for an atomic bomb.

Iran denies this and says its programme is for energy and medical purposes.

On Tuesday, Iran unveiled a new uranium production facility and two mines, only days after talks with world powers on its nuclear programme again ended in deadlock.

Ahmadinejad, who arrived in Benin on Sunday night, left Monday afternoon for neighbouring Niger, one of the world’s top producers of uranium.

Iran needs uranium for its nuclear programme, and Niger has recently criticised a longstanding agreement with France - which gets most of its uranium from the former colony - demanding a bigger share of the profits from uranium ore mining.